Coax out your inner goddess and get your hands on all those tantalising fashion and lifestyle secrets just waiting to be told
This is the book you spent hours seeking hopefully for on your mum’s bookshelves when you were a teenager. You know, the one which was going to tell you all the tricks of the trade – how to dress stylishly, look gorgeous, achieve that certain je ne sais quoi guaranteed to have the world drop at your feet.
The title immediately makes you think ‘domestic goddess’, but this is only one part of this book’s many wonderful facets. Author Gisèle Scanlon, a fashion journalist and illustrator, reveals she is made up of not one but six goddess types: the Home Goddess, the Office Goddess, the Sex Goddess, the Urban Goddess, the Earth Goddess and the Luxurious Goddess. It’s a lovely idea and you can almost feel each Goddess holding forth on her own special area of expertise throughout the rest of the book.
Scanlon breaks the book up into sections such as Style, Travel, Home, Food and Having Fun. Each is full of tantalising little bits of information, making you feel like you are finally being made privy to a whole load of secrets, from savvy style to culinary expertise. Secrets divulged include the top ‘It’ bags, how to hang a picture, where to buy your lingerie, different cuts of coat and styles of bras, even how to boil the perfect egg.
A mixture of ‘A girl’s guide to…’, a personal journal and lifestyle magazine, The Goddess Guide is also infused with Scanlon’s fascinating decision to sell her collection of designer clothes on eBay in order to pay for perfect Hollywood teeth. You can’t help but feel her pain as she parts with beloved designer dresses, shoes and bags to pay for the work.
Another beautifully produced hardback, the pages are filled with Scanlon’s own quirky illustrations and feel more like a wonderfully produced magazine than book. You’ll find yourself rushing through it on a first read in delight, and then putting it aside, but close at hand to dip into whenever you feel the Goddess need. Hardly needs to be said, but a perfect Christmas present too.
The Goddess Guide, by Gisèle Scanlon, is published by Harper Collins.
